Mercy Fitness Specialists Train Nimishillen Firefighters For Combat Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jul 08, 2008

CONTACT:
Cindy Hickey, 330-489-1212
cindy.hickey@cantonmercy.org

Canton, Ohio: Climb stairs while carrying a fire hose up five stories. Use a sledge hammer to move a Keiser sled five feet. Drag a hose 75 feet, and then move a 190-pound dummy 100 feet. Now try all this while wearing a firefighter’s helmet and gloves, 20-pound ankle weights and 30-pound air pack. Forty-one firefighters from the Nimishillen Township Fire Department took part in the Combat Challenge Tuesday, June 24 at Stark State College fire training facility.

The challenge is part of the Nimishillen Township Fire Department’s wellness program. “The leading cause of death among firefighters in America is heart attacks, and sprains or muscle strains represent the largest number of debilitating injuries,�? says Chief Richard J. Peterson, Nimishillen Township Fire Department.

Mercy Health & Fitness Center exercise physiologists Sue Madden, B.S., and Stephanie Wheeler, M.S., watch Nimishillen Township firefighter Scott Bauer take part in the Firefighters Combat Challenge Tuesday, June 24 . (Not pictured: Nicole Boylen, B.S., exercise physiologist at Mercy Health & Fitness Center, is also part of the fitness training team.)

“We began this program as a proactive initiative to help identify areas of improvement for our firefighter’s overall physical condition. The Firefighter Combat Challenge represents a realistic simulation of the physical demands a firefighter can experience while performing their duties,�? Peterson says.

Certified health fitness trainers from Mercy Medical Center’s Health & Fitness Department have worked with Nimishillen Township firefighters since 2004 helping them improve their overall wellness and prepare for the challenge.

“We start by individually evaluating each firefighter,�? says Sue Madden, B.S, exercise physiologist at Mercy Health & Fitness Center. “We test for cardiovascular endurance, strength, agility and flexibility.�? Glucose and cholesterol screenings are also offered at Mercy Health Center of North Canton as a part of the overall wellness assessment. Based on the evaluation results, trainers make recommendations on how to improve physical performance and conditioning prior to taking the challenge.

“The team at Mercy Health & Fitness Center have been excellent to work with,�? Peterson says. “They have been with us since the inception of the program and have worked diligently to evaluate our firefighters and custom tailor a workout program to our firefighters’ individual needs.

Chief Richard J. Peterson, Nimishillen Township Fire Department; exercise physiologists at Mercy Health & Fitness Center Sue Madden, B.S., and Stephanie Wheeler, M.S.; and firefighter Rich Hallas stand ready for the Firefighters Combat Challenge Tuesday, June 24.

Mercy Health & Fitness Center is located in Mercy Health Center of North Canton and is available to assist you in virtually every area of fitness. Our staff of experienced exercise physiologists offer their expertise in weight reduction, diabetes control, stress management, strength and conditioning, cardiac rehabilitation, post rehabilitation, cancer recovery, personal training, sport specific training and aquatics. The Center offers state-of-the-art equipment for cardiovascular and resistive strength training including treadmills, stairclimbers, stationary and recumbent bikes, rowing and upper body ergometers, Cybex selectorized machines and free weights. For more information about Mercy Health & Fitness Center, call 330-966-8997.

Nimishillen Township Fire Department protects approximately 10,000 people living in an area of 36 square miles. Operating out of two stations, the department’s members are a combination of paid and volunteer workers. Nimishillen Township has made a commitment to physical fitness for its firefighters by incorporating workouts as part of their daily regiment and by conducting an annual 12-week firefighter fitness challenge program.

Mercy Medical Center, a nonprofit corporation of the Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals Health System, operates a 476-bed hospital serving Stark, Carroll, Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties and parts of Southeastern Ohio. It has 550 physicians on its Medical Staff and employs 2,500 people. Mercy operates outpatient health centers in Carrollton, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Louisville and North Canton. A Catholic hospital, Mercy Medical Center upholds the mission and philosophy of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and continues to be responsive to the needs of the community, including the provision of care to all, regardless of their ability to pay.

Quality Standards

Qualitystandards-graphic2 Breast Cancer The Mercy Cancer Center takes great pride in the care we deliver. To monitor the quality of that care, we track specific quality measures and compare them to benchmark measures. We think consumers have the right to know this information so you can draw your own conclusions regarding your health care choices. Quality data can be confusing so Mercy Cancer Center is taking the initiative to publish this information in an understandable format. We invite you to review this information and please call us if you have questions. We are committed to providing the very highest quality cancer care. Breast cancer quality data is the first to be published. Please refer back to our web site in the coming months to see quality data for other cancer diagnoses. Breast Cancer Quality Data Mammography MQSA Certification 5-Year Breast Cancer Survival Rate Percentage of Early Stage Breast Cancer Minimally Invasive Breast Biopsy Breast Conservation Surgery Radiation Treatment with Breast Conservation Surgery Mammography MQSA Certification When you have a mammogram, you want to be confident that your healthcare facility is certified and meets the highest standards for personnel qualifications, equipment, radiation dose, quality assurance programs, recordkeeping and reporting. Congress enacted the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) to ensure women have access to quality mammography services. To become MQSA certified, mammography facilities must employ only registered mammography technologists and undergo a thorough annual inspection conducted by federally trained and certified State surveyors who review over 50 quality indicators. Mercy National % Annual Inspections with No MQSA Violations 100%* 76.4% 100% at all Mercy locations: Main Campus, North Canton, Jackson, Louisville, Carrollton 5-Year Breast Cancer Survival Rate Overall survival from breast cancer is the most important goal. Survival is tied to the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Five-year survival rate (the percentage of women who are still alive five years after diagnosis) is the standard measurement that is used to express the outlook for your disease. The cancer stage - noted as a number from 0 to IV - is based on the size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. The lower the number, the less disease. It is important to remember that these survival rates are based on averages. Some women with advanced breast cancer live significantly longer than seven years and researchers are constantly developing new treatment alternatives to prolong breast cancer survival. Mercy National Combined Stage 0-II 87.4% 87.1% Combined Stage III-IV 40.9% 42.9% Combined All Stages 82.7% 82.3% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry Reported to National Cancer Database Percentage of Early Stage Breast Cancer Because disease stage at diagnosis significantly influences survival, it is critical to diagnose breast cancers as early as possible. Mercy Cancer Center tracks the percentage of breast cancers diagnosed at Stage 0 through II which offer women the greatest advantage of long-term survival. Mercy National % of Breast Cancers Diagnosed at Stage 0-II 91.4% 83.2% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry Reported to National Cancer Database Minimally Invasive Breast Biopsy Minimally invasive breast biopsy involves taking a core of breast tissue rather than performing an incision to remove a breast tissue sample. Research shows that conventional surgical biopsies present certain disadvantages including prolonged time to diagnosis, breast scarring, increased pain for the patient and substantially higher costs than the minimally invasive options. It is important to note that not all breast lesions can be biopsied by minimally invasive techniques, but it is a biopsy technique that should be considered when appropriate. Mercy National % of Minimally Invasive Breast Biopsies 75.6% 65% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry Reported to National Cancer Database Breast Conservation Surgery The National Institutes of Health has recommended breast conservation surgery (lumpectomy) rather than mastectomy for the majority of women with early stage, invasive breast cancer. Lumpectomy decreases the potential for adverse effects from surgery and minimizes physical alterations. More importantly, studies have proven that long-term survival is no different. Despite these facts, some women still opt for mastectomy. Mercy National % Breast Conservation Surgery 65.8% 65% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry and Oncology Roundtable Survey Radiation Treatment with Breast Conservation Surgery The purpose of breast conservation therapy is to give women the same cure rate they would have if they were treated with a mastectomy but to leave the breast intact, with an appearance and texture as close as possible to what they had before treatment. Breast conservation surgery (lumpectomy) is almost always followed by radiation therapy. The purpose of the radiation treatment is to decrease the recurrence of breast cancer in the remaining breast tissue. Years of clinical study have proven that breast conservation therapy offers the same cure rate as mastectomy. Mercy National % Patients with Breast Conserving Surgery that Received Radiation 93.4% 85.0% Source: CIRF Cancer Registry and NCCN 9th Annual Conference Other Measures of Quality The mark of excellence can also be defined by other important quality indicators that are not demonstrated through statistics. Mercy Cancer Center is committed to excellence in cancer care as evidenced by: Three-year accreditation with accommodation as a Comprehensive Community Hospital Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer Timely and accurate submission of all patient data to the National Cancer Data Base Accreditation of Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Services by the American College of Radiology Bi-weekly multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Conferences Weekly multidisciplinary Tumor Conferences Mercy Medical Center Medical Staff comprised of 94% Board Certified Physicians

ED Cath Lab

Cathlab-graphic Mercy Leads The Nation AGAIN With A State-Of-The-Art Cardiac Cath Lab In Our Emergency Department "Time is Muscle" That's what heart specialists say about heart muscle damage incurred with every passing second of a heart attack. Every moment lost means damage to the heart muscle, resulting in diminished chances for survival and lost quality of life. That is why Mercy has dramatically reduced the transition period from Emergency Department to Cardiac Catheterization Lab to mere seconds! When the unthinkable happens... think Mercy. HOW THE E.R. CATH LAB SAVES TIME: EMS crew relays vital information to Emergency Chest Pain Center en route to Mercy. Emergency Chest Pain Center Team makes diagnosis and prepares for patient’s arrival. Patient is admitted directly to E.R. Cath Lab for procedure to begin. Reduced time results in increased survival rates,faster recoveries and higher quality of life.

Mercy Fitness Specialists Train Nimishillen Firefighters For Combat Challenge

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